The annual climbing plants (nasturtium, morning glory, sweet pea , cowpea, mina, hops, black-eyed Susan , etc.) are always very useful for quickly dressing the railing of a balcony, a large planter with trellis, a fence or a large pot surmounted by a pyramidal stake. March and April are the ideal time to sow them.
How to sow annual climbing plants?
Sow in a warm place, in March-April.
24 hours before, immerse the seeds in a container filled with lukewarm water. This trick allows:
- To soften the envelope
- To rehydrate the seeds, which saves a few days on germination
- To sort the good seeds from the bad ones: those that float will germinate while those that sink will give nothing.
When sowing:
- Fill a pot with horticultural or seedling soil.
- Place on the surface 2 to 3 seeds spaced between them
- Cover with a little potting soil and tamp lightly with your fingertips.
- Moisten with a sprayer
- Keep warm by keeping the soil moist, without excess. Germination usually takes 1-2 weeks.
- Separate the young plants as soon as they reach 3 to 4 cm in height to replant them in individual pots.
- Push in a small stake to accompany their development in height.
- Wait between mid-April and mid-May before planting in their final place, after the end of the frosts. These climbers are perfect for occupying a large planter, a pot and running on a trellis.
7 Choices of Annual Climbing Plants for These Seedlings
This selection presents only climbing plants of rapid growth which have a flowering spread over several months. Some are hardy in mild climates.
climbing nasturtium
Very flowery, this annual climbing plant has spectacular growth. Its dark green foliage with lighter veins is covered with sparkling colored flowers. The climbing nasturtium is ideal as a ground cover, but also for quickly covering a wire fence or as a companion plant in the vegetable patch.
- Flowers: From June to October
- Exposure: In the sun
- Height: 2 m to 5 m
morning glory
There are many varieties of morning glory, also called garden morning glory or blue bindweed. All are very floriferous and grow very quickly. The most beautiful offer sky blue or purple trumpet flowers. They are practical for covering a stake, an arbor or a fence in the space of a few weeks.
Heat and strong light guarantee great floridity.
- Flowers: From June to October
- Exposure: Full sun
- Height: 2 m to 5 m
Sweet Pea
Annual or perennial, this twining plant clings alone to the support with its tendrils. The flowers take the form of pretty butterflies, sometimes fragrant, always very colorful.
The climbing sweet pea is perfect for colonizing the trellis of a large planter or the mesh of a dividing fence.
- Flowers: From June to October
- Exposure: Sun
- Height: 1.5 m to 3 m
Climbing cowpea
Of Mexican origin, this annual climbing plant with spectacular flowers, but a little late, needs to store a lot of heat and sun to bloom well. The bell-shaped flowers 3-5 cm in length are fragrant and change color as they age, from a cream to purple hue. Perfect for covering a fence or a fence , the climbing cobea also likes along a railing or on a pergola.
- Flowers: From August to October
- Exposure: Full sun
- Height: 5 m to 10 m
Mina lobata
Long considered a morning glory, this annual climbing flower is now separated from it. It produces elegant upright spikes of bright orange and yellow tube-shaped flowers. It appreciates the heat and the sun as much as the ipomée and is used in the same way.
- Flowers: From July to October
- Exposure: Full sun
- Height: 2 m to 5 m
golden hops
This very beautiful annual climbing plant clings to its support on its own. The female flowers form very long oval spikes which are lastingly fragrant. It is traditionally used to dress a pylon, the upright of a pergola or a fence.
- Flowers: From July to September
- Exposure: Sun or partial shade
- Height: 3 m to 5 m
Black-eyed Susan
Also called smile of Zanzibar , this very beautiful twining perennial, but chilly often requiring to cultivate it as an annual, offers small yellow or orange flowers underlined by a black heart. They repeat themselves for several months.
This annual climbing flower is ideal for growing in a large pot, on a small pyramidal metal stake for example.
- Flowers: From June to October
- Exposure: Sun or partial shade
- Height: 1.5 m to 3 m